Honda S2000

[MrH]

Oh, weirdest thing today happened too. So I'm laying upside down with my head buried in the foot well of the driver side, trying to fish speaker wire that's entirely too big of gauge through the door grommet.

I look up. There's a hidden button mounted underneath the steering wheel. It looks like an aftermarket switch, just a small momentary round button switch. I tried to follow the wiring, and it's snapped into what looks like an OEM harness connection.

Google searched it. Apparently the security alarm was a dealer installed accessory. If it goes off, you put the key in the ignition and press this button to kill it. Good to know. Just really strange I thought.

[CaminoRacer]

Secret NOS

Also, what do you mean "get your garage back?" Your garage is finally fulfilling it's destiny!

[MrH]

My garage is entirely filled with s2000 parts everywhere. It's so full of shit I can't fit the car in there right now.

[Rupert]

Sounds like a good use of a garage to me, man.

[MrH]

Put in some serious hours. Very close to being done. Probably less than an hour left. Just gotta reassemble the center console. Missing a few screws that weren't there when I bought the thing.

Total nightmare trying to get that rear shelf back in. It's easy as shit to take out when there's no top. Put a top in the way and you have to feed things in through the trunk.

Oh well. Cars and coffee next weekend with it

[280Z Turbo]

Put in some serious hours. Very close to being done. Probably less than an hour left. Just gotta reassemble the center console. Missing a few screws that weren't there when I bought the thing.

Total nightmare trying to get that rear shelf back in. It's easy as shit to take out when there's no top. Put a top in the way and you have to feed things in through the trunk.

Oh well. Cars and coffee next weekend with it

Good luck. Try not to get hit by a Mustang.

[CaminoRacer]

Put in some serious hours. Very close to being done. Probably less than an hour left. Just gotta reassemble the center console. Missing a few screws that weren't there when I bought the thing.

Total nightmare trying to get that rear shelf back in. It's easy as shit to take out when there's no top. Put a top in the way and you have to feed things in through the trunk.

Oh well. Cars and coffee next weekend with it

Dayton or Cincy?

[MrH]

Dayton.  Apparently a bunch of guys from the Indy cars & coffee are coming too.  I was at the Indy C&C a few weeks ago and it was awesome.  Lots of cool stuff.

[CaminoRacer]

Interesting. Didn't know Dayton had one now

[MrH]

It's big too.  A few guys from Cincinnati are coming up to it now.

[MrH]

Finished everything last night.  Mostly just interior install stuff was left.  Drove it into work this morning.

All the remains is a few tiny projects (rear speaker install, mount phone holder bracket, hardwire a car charger in).  Still have the stupid brake pads on that are so loud.  Needs a good detail.

Then finally install coilovers, alignment, roll the front fenders, and put the RPF1s on and it's done.

[12,000 RPM]

How does it sound

I remember deciding not to mess with the Z's stereo cause the road noise was so deafening any upgrades would have been pointless. I think the S2K was better though. Civic is good enough

[MrH]

The stereo?  Pretty good.  The sub is pretty weak, so it's just a little rumble from behind your back.  The speakers are pretty loud, there's just a lot of noise when driving with the top down on the highway, passing semis and everything.  Definitely need to put the rear speakers in.  That'll help for sure.

I did drive with the top up on the highway today.  Holy shit is that loud.  Twice as loud as the miata ever was.  Sounds like something wasn't sealed at the top of the windshield, but felt zero air coming though.  Not sure if that's just how it is or what.


Passed 38k miles today.   Took it to work on Friday, cars and coffee and the gym today.  Slowly getting comfortable with it.  Headroom is pretty great with the top up for how little it is.  It's twitchy in the rain though, and there's no traction or stability control at all.

Might ask for one of these for my birthday this year:

[CaminoRacer]

Define twitchy.

To me, twitchy is 427 Cobra drifting around every corner. Which I find hard to imagine a hamster engine being capable of.

[FoMoJo]

Define twitchy.

To me, twitchy is 427 Cobra drifting around every corner. Which I find hard to imagine a hamster engine being capable of.

Glad to see that they're still some young fellas with real gasoline in their veins.   You would've loved my Sunbeam Tiger.

[CaminoRacer]

Glad to see that they're still some young fellas with real gasoline in their veins.   You would've loved my Sunbeam Tiger.

I think a Cobra or Tiger is my next project car.

[FoMoJo]

I think a Cobra or Tiger is my next project car.

My dream car, at the time, was a Pantera; but they were pretty expensive and not very plentiful.

[12,000 RPM]

Define twitchy.

To me, twitchy is 427 Cobra drifting around every corner. Which I find hard to imagine a hamster engine being capable of.

When my last set of tires were done up front, they would break traction in the rain with mild inputs. There is a left hand sweeper near my house my car can do at about 55-60 in the dry. In the wet I couldn't give it gas past like 40. I'm imagining it like that in the back.

Mr H I bet you the stock alignment has a little rear toe out. I would look into that and maybe a smaller RSB

[CaminoRacer]

Smaller sway bar is never the answer. Bigger front bar!

[MrH]

Yeah. AP1s are twitchy compared to ap2s. Combination of alignment, suspension geometry, and really low polar moment of inertia.

I haven't spun the thing out, but near the limits in the rain, it's not a progressive feeling. Step out was quick little increments.

Once I get the coilovers on and ride height set, I'll start playing with alignment settings

[Soup DeVille]

Yeah. AP1s are twitchy compared to ap2s. Combination of alignment, suspension geometry, and really low polar moment of inertia.

I haven't spun the thing out, but near the limits in the rain, it's not a progressive feeling. Step out was quick little increments.

Once I get the coilovers on and ride height set, I'll start playing with alignment settings

Yeah, it breaks free real quick once it starts to slide. All in all, it's best to keep that rear end going straight ahead. Lots of people have tried lots of different things, but aping the AP2 suspension alignment seems to be the most popular. 

[MrH]

So I'm thinking about removing the front lip.  It's the OEM accessory the previous owner put on.  But it's cracked and scrapped up pretty bad.  Also, it scrapes on my driveway and other places unless I go at a snail's pace.  I'm going to be lowering it just a bit, so I think it'll have to come off anyways.  Thoughts?  I think the extra body cladding really dates the car.

With:


Without:

[CALL_911]

Get that shit out of there

[Rich]

dump it

[SJ_GTI]

Get that shit out of there

+1

Looks better without the lip IMHO.

[Raza]

Yeah, I say get rid of it.

[MrH]

Wow.  I'm surprised by the response.  I also think it looks a lot better without.  I'm the only S2000 owner with that opinion it seems like.

[Rich]

I think 2 seat roadsters look better without stuff tacked on.  More like the old 60's style for the country 2 lane, and less like the 2fast 2 furious bridge jumper.

[Raza]

Wow.  I'm surprised by the response.  I also think it looks a lot better without.  I'm the only S2000 owner with that opinion it seems like.

I like the way it looks, but if it's cracked and shitty, you might as well get rid of it.

[MrH]

I think 2 seat roadsters look better without stuff tacked on.  More like the old 60's style for the country 2 lane, and less like the 2fast 2 furious bridge jumper.

  Yeah, the front lip looks very early 2000's fast and furious.  Even more so when it's scrapped and cracked.

I'm keeping the OEM rear spoiler though.  It's subtle and gives it a more interesting shape.